Centre urges West Bengal government to join power scheme UDAY

NEW DELHI: In order to ensure round the clock electricity to all, Power Minister Piyush Goyal has urged the West Bengal government to join the UDAY scheme meant for revival of debt-stressed power distribution companies in the nation.

"I have urged the Hon'ble CM of WB @Mamata_TMC to sign up for the Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna (UDAY) to ensure the 24X7 power for all," the minister said in a tweet.

Asserting that West Bengal is an integral part the government's effort to ensure affordable 24X7 power to all by 2019, Goyal said that only 22 villages are un-electrified in the state.

"West Bengal is an integral part of GoI's effort to ensure affordable 24x7 power to all by 2019. Only 22 villages are un-electrified in WB," he said.

"For the first time in 68 years after independence on 29 Dec'15 India became one nation, one grid and power at one price," he tweeted.

Piyush Goyal had on Tuesday exuded confidence that all states will join UDAY after Jharkhand became the first state to sign an MoU to avail benefits of the scheme meant for revival of debt-laden discoms.

Jharkhand on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Power Ministry to join UDAY, which is seen to offer the state a net benefit of around Rs 5,300 crore.

“To save the environment and to fight climate change, my government has planned a major campaign. By 2022, we want to generate 175 GW of renewable energy. In the last three years, we have already achieved 60 GW or around one-third of this target,” he said.